What a sinusoidal rollercoaster this year has been!
Now that 2021 is coming to a close, it's time to step on the brakes and give yourself the rest and relaxation you and your loved ones deserve. Giving the gift of health and wellness to your loved ones celebrates them for making it this far and sets the tone for the year ahead. Health Plus picked out personal recommendations that are easily incorporated into any self-care routine, promoting calm, relaxation and good vibes all around.
1. DIY Herb Garden
This is a fun, easy, affordable gift to create. Herb gardens are uncomplicated to grow, even for persons in cozy apartments. All you need is a sunny windowsill or an outdoor ledge or table to set them on. Especially for persons who love to cook, fresh herbs are the key to big flavour without big effort. Just a tiny hint of a fresh herb at the end of cooking can take a recipe from “pretty good” to “mind-blowing”. Order an all-in-one kit or head out to the local garden store for pots, soil and favourite spices and herbs. Ensure you choose a variety of nutritious herbs such as basil, parsley, chives, thyme, and mint to name a few.
Health Benefit of Gardening: Using herbs and spices can enhance the flavour of food without the added salt. A low sodium diet is essential to a healthy heart, and home gardening can spice-up your cooking with herbs grown right at home. A study in New Zealand, suggests that gardening fights stress even better than other hobbies. Participants completed a stressful task and were then told to read inside or go outdoors and garden for 30 minutes. The gardening group reported better moods afterward, and their blood tests showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
2. Fitness gifts
For your fitness enthusiast who appreciates the gym and is mindful of burning calories, a sleek, sophisticated fitness tracker (watch) might elicit the same effect as a piece of jewellery! Well maybe not, but these thoughtful gifts supporting your loved one on his/her quest to meet fitness goals are rated as the top gifts for 2021. Gym memberships (even virtual ones), yoga mats, meditation cushions and funky water bottles are always appreciated as they are functional gifts. We believe for most, health and fitness goals went out the window in 2021 and these fitness gifts are perfect for anyone looking to move more, drop the extra pounds and generally improve their health.
3. Journals
For those who love to write and plan, why not gift them with a planner that blends a journal with it? There are many open journals that focus on wellbeing, happiness or gratitude, usually complemented with an array of powerful motivational quotes. Some are designed to help one blossom through life with self-reflection questions, action items, and intention. Even better if they are neat and purse size, easy to carry around and perfect for planning the big and small aspects of life, adding that extra pep into planning.
Health Benefit of Journaling: One of the ways to deal with any overwhelming emotion is to find a healthy way to express yourself. Simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly helps one gain control of one’s emotions and improves mental health. And if one struggles with stress, depression, or anxiety, keeping a journal is a great idea.
4. The Gift of Reading
Reading is a healthy nighttime routine for both parents and children. Make your child the star of his/her own bedtime story or turn a parent into a superhero with a personalised bedtime story. This is one of my favourite gifting options as you can even customise the story, the moral, even the title. You’ll find timeless books about friendship, adventure, classroom capers and building values at specific age ranges as well. This encourages creativity of any young child and allows them to indulge their imagination. These are available at Wonderbly:
https://www.wonderbly.com/
5. The Gift of Ergonomics - a laptop stand
Up to 42% of the world’s workforce has spent the better part of 2021 working remotely, and several studies suggested that many home office setups leave much to be desired. Improper chair height and incorrect computer orientation were among the ergonomic missteps reported, and these could lead to back, neck, and shoulder pain over time. Gift your loved ones, or even yourself a laptop stand, which can be raised and tilted until it’s in a comfortable, ergonomic position.
How to tell if your computer screen is at the right height: The top of the screen should be right at eye level. This is important to prevent neck strain and eyestrain. With this gift your body will certainly thank you!
If you are still trying to figure out what to get your loved ones for Christmas, we challenge you to think outside the box and keep in mind that sweets are only enjoyed for a few minutes, but they have their health to think about forever!